Chocolates, Theories and the Giant Squid
by Raspberrydoll
Summary: “No, you go on without me. I’ll be fine.” He said angrily. He almost knocked Izuku over in his haste to get out the dorm. He was too frustrated to do anything else except walk away. Before his friend could protest, he left the dorm past the portrait of the fat lady making his way to the astronomy tower. Leaving Izuku staring after him.


Shinsou was frantic.

He'd misplaced his permission slip to go to hogsmeade and his entire class was leaving in an hour. He knows he put it in his bag, he knows he did. He was sure of it! His dorm was a mess now. He rummaged through the entirety of his dorm, his trunk, he even sent an owl to his guardian at the orphanage to see if he'd accidentally left it behind. He really wanted to go, had been looking forward to it all summer. Now the first hogsmeade visit of the year was here and he misplaced it. Hence the mess he made in order to try and find the stupid piece of paper. He was so frustrated. He knows he might not get an owl response back from his guardian in time, especially since he wrote the morning of when he realized his permission slip wasn't in his bag.

"Hey 'Toshi, you should see what Shouto just—"

"Damn it!"

"'Toshi? Is everything okay?" Asked Izuku as he walked into Shinsou's dorm.

"No, I can't find my permission slip and without it Aizawa is not going to let me go."

"Do you want me to help you look for it?"

"It's not anywhere, I already looked everywhere and I can't find it! "

"'Toshi, it's okay, I'll stay with you. I don't have to go, there's always a next time."

"Shit!"

"'Toshi, maybe we could—"

"No, you go on without me. I'll be fine." He said angrily. He almost knocked Izuku over in his haste to get out the dorm. He was too frustrated to do anything else except walk away. Before his friend could protest, he left the dorm past the portrait of the fat lady making his way to the astronomy tower. Leaving Izuku staring after him.

The tower was his refuge. It's where he always escaped to when he was upset. There was just something comforting about the tower. It was secluded. You could look out the window and see the stars at night. See the expanse that was Hogwarts. The huge yards. The quidditch pitch. The lake with the giant squid in it. The grounds and the edge of the dark forest. Yagi's small hut in the distance. Random student's pets crawling or hopping around. Knowing he could be alone at any given time since nobody ever went up there. Sometimes he would go up to the tower to study if he was having a hard time focusing. He could think and clear his mind, spend some time alone and even sulk if he felt like it—on days when he was upset. Days like today.

The only reason he'd been so bummed about not being able to find his permission slip was because he really wanted to go outside of Hogwarts for once. Back in the muggle world, it's the orphanage house parents who were in charge and they had too many rules about being out. They didn't give him any freedom or allowed a curfew. Too overprotective. He understands why, he just didn't want to be understanding. He was a kid for Christ's sake. If he wasn't at the orphanage dealing with their rules, he was at Hogwarts dealing with Aizawa's. No matter how much he loved the castle, the first place that ever actually felt like home, he also wanted to explore. Do more. Be out and be free. A regular kid. Sometimes he felt trapped and today had been his one chance to go outside the school grounds.

Sitting atop of the stairs, he thought about how he almost bowled over Izuku. He knows he shouldn't have done that. He told himself that once Izuku came back from Hogsmeade he'll apologize. He didn't mean to lash out at him, it wasn't Izuku's fault. Izuku was trying to calm him down and Shinsou hadn't stopped to listen to him. He felt horrible. Izuku is his best friend. His first friend when he first arrived at Hogwarts. Both eleven year old muggle-borns who had no parents. No knowledge of magic or wands or castles before they received their Hogwarts letters. Now fourteen and they still had a lot in common, down to the unruly hair and shyness. It was one of the first things Shinsou had noticed when he first saw the green haired boy. It was what made him have the courage to sit next to him on the train—it was the little details that made him look trustworthy. Izuku then offering a smile and a piece of his smushed peanut butter sandwich then striking up a conversation about comic book heroes.

He smiled as he reminisced, Izuku is a good friend. Always has been. Shinsou would make it up to him. He made a promise to himself that he would cheer Izuku on as loud as he could during Izuku's next quidditch game. That would work, Izuku would definitely appreciate the motivation and his friend's support at least. Izuku always asked Shinsou to be at his quidditch games and practices, especially on game days when Izuku was nervous. Shinsou didn't always go, it wasn't his scene, much preferring a book to read. Izuku would resort to his mumbling habits about being scared of losing. So yeah, next time—Shinsou would show up.

Looking out the open window, Shinsou stood and noticed that the giant skid was above water. Splashing around, waving his tentacles. He'd always liked that squid. Ever since the day it saved him from drowning when he fell into the river their first year. One of the squid's tentacles had gently wrapped around his body, lifting him out of the water and simply plopped him back down on the grass with a slight thud. Shinsou had been so dumbfounded looking around at what had just happened as he caught his breathe, all while Izuku had a huge grin plastered on his face as he looked in fascination at Shinsou's soaking wet form. After Izuku was done with his freak out that is. He'd been terrified when 'Toshi had gone under. After that, 'Toshi theorized to Izuku that the giant squid had a personality, was extremely smart, and knew what was going on around the castle. He'd even joked that a previous headmaster who was long gone named Dumbledore could somehow talk to it. He huffed out a laugh at the memory, of the facial expression Izuku made when he'd said that.

"What are you laughing at?" Izuku asked, smile popping into view as he came up the steps of the tower.

Shinsou startled and wheeled around to look at Izuku approaching. "Jesus!" He exclaimed, placing a hand over his heart as if willing it to calm down.

Of course Izuku would know where to find him.

"Sorry!" Izuku rushed out. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Warn someone next time!"

"I said I was sorry!"

He sighed in relief.

"It's okay… I just didn't hear you. Geez, my heart."

"So?"

"So what?" Shinsou asked in confusion heart still hammering away.

"What were you laughing at?"

"Oh. Nothing. Umm, well, the squid is out." He mumbled as he rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. He knows Izuku doesn't and would never make fun of him for being a goofball about the squid. Shinsou just thinks the giant squid is cool is all.

"Really? I thought all the creatures were still under their sleeping spell." Izuku frowned as he stood next to Shinsou looking out the window too.

"We could go ask Yagi but I'm assuming with the warmer weather they were fine to come out again." Shinsou said as he stood up from the stairs.

"You're probably right." Izuku mumbled.

Shinsou looked sideways at Izuku. "I know I'm right."

"Yeah, yeah. You and your knowledge and theories of the squid." Izuku laughed softly.

"Here." Izuku said as he turned to face his friend, handing a small package to Shinsou.

Shinsou looked down at the package and then back up to Izuku.

"What's this?" He asked curiously as he took the package from his friend.

"I got you candy and chocolate from Honeydukes!"

"But… why?"

"'Why' he asks, to cheer you up, duh." Izuku responds, rolling his eyes good naturedly.

"But–"

"Just take it 'Toshi, and I know you're ready to apologize about earlier. I can see it on your face. Don't bother. In every letter you wrote to me this summer you mentioned how excited you were to go. I would be just as upset if I wasn't able to go to hogsmeade after all."

"You volunteered to stay." Shinsou deadpanned.

"And I would've too but you ran out of the dorm before I could say anything else." Izuku said lightly.

"I know." Shinsou said melancholy, guilt settling in his stomach. He sighed. "Thank you, Izuku."

"Ah, no worries, 'Toshi. Come on, open the box. There's some chocolates in there I want to try." Izuku said eagerly.

With a renowned smile, he grabbed Izuku by the arm and pulled him down along with him so they could sit on the floor near the window. Shinsou unwrapped the candy filled package and Izuku reached for a piece of chocolate. After taking a bite, he spoke up.

"So… any new theoriesh about the giant shquid, 'Toshi?" Izuku asked then frowned as the chocolate stuck to the roof of his mouth.

Shinsou laughed. "Are you okay over there?"

"Thish chocolate ish shuper thick." Izuku tried to swallow face contorting trying to get it to unstick, causing Shinsou to laugh out loud harder in the process. After a few moments of his tongue wrestling against the chocolate. Izuku finally swallowed it down.

"That should be considered an accomplishment in itself. I deserve house points just for that. I'm exhausted." Izuku said dramatically. "I think I'm done with these."

Shinsou snorted. "More for me then."

"So?"

"So what?" Shinsou repeated.

"Theories!"

"Right, theories, so I think—"

They spent the rest of the afternoon like that, sitting in the tower exchanging theories back and forth. Listening to Shinsou ramble on and on without stopping unless it was to take a bite out of a piece of candy. Izuku didn't really believe in them as much as 'Toshi did but he listened to his friend anyway because 'Toshi enjoyed it. Because that's what you do for your best friend, and he will always be there to cheer him up. Silly theories and all.

Once 'Toshi is done with his candy he'll tell him about Shouto's invisibility cloak. He hadn't gotten a chance to tell 'Toshi before 'Toshi had stormed out. Shouto had mischief written all over his face when he'd shown it to Izuku that morning. Shouto has wanted to see if they could somehow scare the shit out of the class bully. Izuku is sure Shinsou will love to hear all about it.

That alone gave Izuku an idea.

Next time, Izuku thought, he's going to borrow Shouto's invisibility cloak. Despite Shinsou's mood—he is going to wrap 'Toshi up in the cloak and sneak him out of Hogwarts with the help of the magical map he had found during detention. 'Toshi deserved to have fun too. Permission slip be damned.


End file.
